Never-before-seen dog-sized dinosaur that dodged 32ft flesh-eating giants and killer crocs found after 150 MILLION years
A "NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN" dinosaur that dates back 150 million years has been revealed – and is now on show in the heart of London.
The speedy creature would've dodged 32ft flesh-eating giants and even crocodiles to survive in prehistoric
13
A brand new dinosaur has gone on show at the historic Natural History Museum in London
Credit: Natural History Museum
13
The speedy creature would've darted around prehistoric Colorado, USA
Credit: Natural History Museum / Bob Nicholls
13
At about a metre long, the dinosaur was the size of a very large dog
Credit: Sean Keach
Officially named
Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae
, the two-legged sprinter is available for free public viewing at the Natural
History
Museum from Thursday, June 26.
The metre-long creature's fossilised skeleton is remarkably well-preserved, stretching over a metre long (3.2ft) – and about 50cm (1.6ft) tall.
Visitors will be able to get up close to the early American creature, which lived alongside iconic dinos like Diplodocus and Stegosaurus.
"What we're dealing with here is a new species of dinosaur that comes from Colorado in the western USA," said Professor Paul Barrow, of the Natural History Museum, speaking to The Sun at the grand unveiling.
Read more on dinosaurs
"It was discovered back in 2021 and we were able to acquire it thanks to an amazingly generous private donation, which allowed us to buy it for the museum."
BACK IN TIME
The dinosaur itself is believed to have not been fully grown.
Normally the upper and lower parts of the creature's back bones would fuse together as the animal aged.
But they weren't fully fused together, suggesting that the dino may have been quite young.
Most read in Science
And it certainly would've been surrounded by
"At the time, Colorado would have been a floodplain," said Professor Susannah Maidment, of the Natural History Museum, speaking to The Sun.
Walking With Dinosaurs: Official Trailer, BBC
"It would have had a series or rivers coming down from high land to the west, and there would have been dinosaurs all over it.
"Some of the most famous dinosaurs – thinks like Diplodocus and Camarasaurus and Brachiosaurus.
"And so this little dinosaur would have been running around at the feet of those giants."
GREEN MACHINE
This particular dinosaur was a herbivore, meaning it mostly ate plants.
13
The remarkably preserved fossilised skeleton was found in a quarry
Credit: Natural History Museum
13
Scientists have pieced together the fossils to reconstruct the dinosaur
Credit: Natural History Museum
But because flowering plants hadn't evolved yet, Professor Maidment told us, it "would have just been eating things like cycads and ferns".
The dinosaur didn't need to move fast to eat – but it did need speedy legs to avoid being eaten.
It lived alongside deadly predators, including
"We know it's a very speedy little dinosaur," said Professor Paul Barrow.
13
It was previously thought to be a type of poorly-understood dinosaur called a Nanosaurus
Credit: Natural History Museum
13
The official name for the new dinosaur is the Engimacursor mollyborthwickae
Credit: Natural History Museum
"It has very long hind legs – it walks on its hind legs only.
"So its main defence against predators would actually have just been a speedy getaway.
"And it's living at the same time as quite a lot of other large predatory dinosaurs.
"Probably the most famous of which is a thing called
29 to 32ft
) in length – it's quite common at the time.
A timeline of life on Earth
Here's a brief history of life on our planet
4.6billion years ago – the origin of Earth
3.8billion years ago – first life appears on Earth
2.1billion years ago – lifeforms made up of multiple cells evolve
1.5billion years ago – eukaryotes, which are cells that contain a nucleus inside of their membranes, emerge
550million years ago – first arthropods evolve
530million years ago – first fish appear
470million years ago – first land plants appear
380million years ago – forests emerge on Earth
370million years ago – first amphibians emerge from the water onto land
320million years ago – earliest reptiles evolve
230million years ago – dinosaurs evolve
200million years ago – mammals appear
150million years ago – earliest birds evolve
130million years ago – first flowering plants
100million years ago – earliest bees
55million years ago – hares and rabbits appear
30million years ago – first cats evolve
20million years ago – great apes evolve
7million years ago –first human ancestors appear
2million years ago – Homo erectus appears
300,000 years ago – Homo sapiens evolves
50,000 years ago – Eurasia and Oceania colonised
40,000 years ago – Neandethal extinction
13
The Sun spoke to Natural History Museum experts Professor Susannah Maidment and Professor Paul Barrett, who discovered the new species
Credit: Natural History Museum
"But also a lot of speedy predators as well, and also some big crocodiles that could have taken out this guy."
DIG IT
The creature was first unearthed in 2021 from a commercial quarry.
And it was thought to be a Nanosaurus, a "poorly-known" species that was first named in 1870s.
The Enigmacursor was acquired from the David Aaron Ltd gallery with support from David and Molly Lowell Borthwick (after whom the dinosaur is now named).
13
The dinosaur would've lived between 145 and 150 million years ago
Credit: Natural History Museum
13
It would've lived alongside giants like Diplodocus and Stegosaurus
Credit: Natural History Museum
And Natural History Museum scientists renamed it after analysing the specimen, confirming it as a species new to science.
But there is still a mystery: exactly how fast the nippy little creature could run.
"It was a two-legged dinosaur and so it had very small forelimbs actually," Professor Maidment told us.
"But we don't really know how fast it would have run at all.
"It probably might have been able to just about outrun us – but probably not much faster than that."
13
Analysis of the dinosaur revealed that it belonged to a brand new species
Credit: Natural History Museum
13
Visitors can go to see the dinosaur at the museum for free from Thursday, June 26
Credit: Sean Keach
13
Scientists have been able to reconstruct what the dinosaur would've looked like based on its fossils
Credit: Natural History Museum
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The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Never-before-seen dog-sized dinosaur that dodged 32ft flesh-eating giants and killer crocs found after 150 MILLION years
A "NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN" dinosaur that dates back 150 million years has been revealed – and is now on show in the heart of London. The speedy creature would've dodged 32ft flesh-eating giants and even crocodiles to survive in prehistoric 13 A brand new dinosaur has gone on show at the historic Natural History Museum in London Credit: Natural History Museum 13 The speedy creature would've darted around prehistoric Colorado, USA Credit: Natural History Museum / Bob Nicholls 13 At about a metre long, the dinosaur was the size of a very large dog Credit: Sean Keach Officially named Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae , the two-legged sprinter is available for free public viewing at the Natural History Museum from Thursday, June 26. The metre-long creature's fossilised skeleton is remarkably well-preserved, stretching over a metre long (3.2ft) – and about 50cm (1.6ft) tall. Visitors will be able to get up close to the early American creature, which lived alongside iconic dinos like Diplodocus and Stegosaurus. "What we're dealing with here is a new species of dinosaur that comes from Colorado in the western USA," said Professor Paul Barrow, of the Natural History Museum, speaking to The Sun at the grand unveiling. Read more on dinosaurs "It was discovered back in 2021 and we were able to acquire it thanks to an amazingly generous private donation, which allowed us to buy it for the museum." BACK IN TIME The dinosaur itself is believed to have not been fully grown. Normally the upper and lower parts of the creature's back bones would fuse together as the animal aged. But they weren't fully fused together, suggesting that the dino may have been quite young. Most read in Science And it certainly would've been surrounded by "At the time, Colorado would have been a floodplain," said Professor Susannah Maidment, of the Natural History Museum, speaking to The Sun. Walking With Dinosaurs: Official Trailer, BBC "It would have had a series or rivers coming down from high land to the west, and there would have been dinosaurs all over it. "Some of the most famous dinosaurs – thinks like Diplodocus and Camarasaurus and Brachiosaurus. "And so this little dinosaur would have been running around at the feet of those giants." GREEN MACHINE This particular dinosaur was a herbivore, meaning it mostly ate plants. 13 The remarkably preserved fossilised skeleton was found in a quarry Credit: Natural History Museum 13 Scientists have pieced together the fossils to reconstruct the dinosaur Credit: Natural History Museum But because flowering plants hadn't evolved yet, Professor Maidment told us, it "would have just been eating things like cycads and ferns". The dinosaur didn't need to move fast to eat – but it did need speedy legs to avoid being eaten. It lived alongside deadly predators, including "We know it's a very speedy little dinosaur," said Professor Paul Barrow. 13 It was previously thought to be a type of poorly-understood dinosaur called a Nanosaurus Credit: Natural History Museum 13 The official name for the new dinosaur is the Engimacursor mollyborthwickae Credit: Natural History Museum "It has very long hind legs – it walks on its hind legs only. "So its main defence against predators would actually have just been a speedy getaway. "And it's living at the same time as quite a lot of other large predatory dinosaurs. "Probably the most famous of which is a thing called 29 to 32ft ) in length – it's quite common at the time. A timeline of life on Earth Here's a brief history of life on our planet 4.6billion years ago – the origin of Earth 3.8billion years ago – first life appears on Earth 2.1billion years ago – lifeforms made up of multiple cells evolve 1.5billion years ago – eukaryotes, which are cells that contain a nucleus inside of their membranes, emerge 550million years ago – first arthropods evolve 530million years ago – first fish appear 470million years ago – first land plants appear 380million years ago – forests emerge on Earth 370million years ago – first amphibians emerge from the water onto land 320million years ago – earliest reptiles evolve 230million years ago – dinosaurs evolve 200million years ago – mammals appear 150million years ago – earliest birds evolve 130million years ago – first flowering plants 100million years ago – earliest bees 55million years ago – hares and rabbits appear 30million years ago – first cats evolve 20million years ago – great apes evolve 7million years ago –first human ancestors appear 2million years ago – Homo erectus appears 300,000 years ago – Homo sapiens evolves 50,000 years ago – Eurasia and Oceania colonised 40,000 years ago – Neandethal extinction 13 The Sun spoke to Natural History Museum experts Professor Susannah Maidment and Professor Paul Barrett, who discovered the new species Credit: Natural History Museum "But also a lot of speedy predators as well, and also some big crocodiles that could have taken out this guy." DIG IT The creature was first unearthed in 2021 from a commercial quarry. And it was thought to be a Nanosaurus, a "poorly-known" species that was first named in 1870s. The Enigmacursor was acquired from the David Aaron Ltd gallery with support from David and Molly Lowell Borthwick (after whom the dinosaur is now named). 13 The dinosaur would've lived between 145 and 150 million years ago Credit: Natural History Museum 13 It would've lived alongside giants like Diplodocus and Stegosaurus Credit: Natural History Museum And Natural History Museum scientists renamed it after analysing the specimen, confirming it as a species new to science. But there is still a mystery: exactly how fast the nippy little creature could run. "It was a two-legged dinosaur and so it had very small forelimbs actually," Professor Maidment told us. "But we don't really know how fast it would have run at all. "It probably might have been able to just about outrun us – but probably not much faster than that." 13 Analysis of the dinosaur revealed that it belonged to a brand new species Credit: Natural History Museum 13 Visitors can go to see the dinosaur at the museum for free from Thursday, June 26 Credit: Sean Keach 13 Scientists have been able to reconstruct what the dinosaur would've looked like based on its fossils Credit: Natural History Museum
The Irish Sun
21 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Blockbuster weight loss jabs ‘significantly lower' the risk of dementia
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But researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in The syndrome occurs when brain cells are damaged and their connections stop working properly. That damage, which worsens over time, impacts Most read in Health It can be caused by various conditions and events, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, traumatic brain injury and stroke. Previous research has indicated that 45 per cent of dementia cases could be prevented by addressing these "modifiable risk factors". Feeling Full Naturally: Top 5 Foods That Act Like Weight Loss Jabs The new study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, analysed the electronic records of nearly 1.7million American patients with type 2 diabetes over three years. Patients taking semaglutide had a "significantly lower" risk of developing Alzheimer's disease-related dementia compared to those on seven other antidiabetic medications. This included other types of GLP-1R-targeting drugs. The results were more "profound" in women and older adults. Prof Xu said the findings support the idea that semaglutide could prevent dementia. But she cautioned that more research is needed. "Our results indicate that research into semaglutide's use for dementia prevention will need to be further investigated through randomised clinical trials," Prof Xu added. Are you eligible for weight loss jabs on the NHS? By Sam Blanchard, Health Correspondent THEY are arguably the biggest medical breakthrough of recent times. And now, so-called 'fat jabs' are available to many more Brits on the NHS. In what marks the dawn of a new era, GPs have begun prescribing the weight loss jab More than three million people are thought to be eligible for tirzepatide - the active drug in Mounjaro - the strongest jab on the market. Health chiefs hope it will turn the tide on England's obesity crisis which has Injections including Ozempic and Wegovy have previously only been available for type 2 diabetes or through specialist slimming clinics. Family doctors will now be encouraged to prescribe them in a bid to get more people on the meds. Experts hope widespread use will slash work sick days and boost the economy, while reducing rates of cancer, heart disease and dementia. But demand for the drugs is already huge and NHS clinics cannot dish them out fast enough. Who is eligible in the new rollout? The new rollout allows GPs to prescribe tirzepatide for weight loss, starting with those patients whose weight places them at greatest health risk. Top of the list will be those with a A BMI of 40 is roughly equal to weighing 16st (102kg) for an average height 5'3' woman, or 19st 6lbs (123kg) for an average 5'9' man. 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The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Pod of killer whales spotted in extremely rare sighting in the Channel by stunned pals on fishing trip
PALS on a fishing trip were stunned when they spotted what appeared to be a pod of killer whales in the Channel. David Hilton, 64, and Paul Bradshaw, 61, were angling off the South Coast when they saw several large creatures breaching the surface. Advertisement 3 Two pals spotted what appeared to be a pod of killer whales in the Channel Credit: Neil Hope 3 David Hilton was angling off the South Coast when he spotted the creatures breaching the surface Credit: Neil Hope 3 Sightings of orcas in the Channel are extremely rare Credit: Getty They appeared to be hunting dolphins in busy international shipping lanes, just five miles south of Plymouth, Devon. Also known as orcas, killer whales — like those in the hit film Free Willy — are seen in the North Sea and off the west coast of Scotland. But sightings in the Channel are extremely rare. David, a retired hospital worker, said: 'I couldn't believe it. Advertisement READ MORE ON KILLER WHALES 'I've never seen orcas before in Paul, a retired medical scientist and marine life enthusiast, added: 'We weren't sure what they were at first. 'The larger ones were over five metres long.' Paul sent pictures to the Orca Research Trust, which said: 'While we can't say definitively that these were Advertisement Most read in The Sun But Dr Peter Evans, professor of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University, said he thought they may have been white beaked dolphins. He said: 'Changes in the status and distribution of various whale and dolphin species have been occurring in recent years.' Terrifying moment huge fin is spotted off UK coast sparking fears killer WHALES are lurking close to shores
